


Dream Catcher (RWBY Traumatized Ruby Rose/Reader)

by Black_Crimson



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Adventure, Badass Fighting, Badass Reader, Crime Fighting, F/M, MALE READER INSERT, Psychological Trauma, RWBY - Freeform, Rape, Rape Recovery, Rape/Non-con Elements, Revenge, Rogue Huntsmen, Trauma, kicked from Wattpad for this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-04 23:04:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17313542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Black_Crimson/pseuds/Black_Crimson
Summary: Ruby Rose - a girl largely recognized for her innocence; for being the sweet girl that loves cookies and loves to help people. The girl that wanted to be the hero from the books. Well, the stories never had this in them, did they?Roman Torchwick - a man that wouldn't have much put past him by others. If you have to ask if he's done it, then he probably has. So in the end, it was no surprise when he ripped Ruby's innocence away in a train car in Moutain Glenn.Adam Taurus - leader of the White Fang. Once a man of peace, now a murderer bent on the extinction of humanity. So it was really no surprise when he and the rest of the White Fang took Ruby's hope, and what was left of her dignity.Ruby Rose - a girl once recognized for being the happy 15 year old of Beacon, filled with hopes and dreams, now a shattered Remnant of what she once was. Ozpin, wanting to help her, realized that he has to make a call to the one person who can help, the one person that knows what it's like, and the one person with the experience and the semblance that can save Ruby from the nightmares, her assaulters, and herself. He has to call (Y/N) (L/N), the one rogue huntsman he can trust.





	1. The Difference Between Innocence and Naivety

It was slow when she came to. Her eyelids felt heavy as she opened them. Luckily there had been no light, however, that didn't stop the pain in her head from where the White Fang guard had kicked her. Ruby felt a rough hand on either of her upper arms as she was dragged across the rocky ground of the train station. When her eyes opened fully, she began to notice the world around her, mainly the small army of faunus all dressed in White Fang uniforms.

"Hey, give me a hand; I can't reach this!" Yelled a voice to her right. 

"Packaging crates over there." Turing her head to the right, Ruby saw a faunus gesturing somewhere off to the left as a paladin picked up a shipping crate and began to carry it. 

"Hey, be careful!"

Ruby snapped her head to the left as she heard a dinging noise. Inside a train car was two White Fang, one berating the other. "What're you tryin' to do? Blow us to the moon?!"

"Sorry, sir!" The other yelled, much more sheepishly and high pitched. 

Ruby was dragged on for a few more seconds before one of the terrorists carrying her yelled-

"Hey, boss! Found something you might want to see!" The faunus wore glasses over his mask. An odd addition, Ruby mused. More like thought, really, as humor was not at the forefront of her mind in that moment. 

"Is it good or bad, Perry?" Came a familiar voice. "Because, lemme tell ya, I have had a day."

Ruby looked over her shoulder at the open car door, her eyes widening in worry as she recognized the voice of the speaker. 

"Uh . . . it's a little girl." 'Perry' answered, almost as if he was asking a question. From inside the train car came Roman Torchwick. The infamous criminal hung on the door as he looked at what his subordinate brought him. Roman inhaled sharply. 

"That would be bad." He said, removing the cigar from his mouth and tossing it away. "Because if one pest is here, the rest aren't far behind." Roman looked at her, sitting on the ground before her. He slowly walked around the unnamed White Fang guard holding Ruby's right arm. 

Ruby took one look at the criminal as he looked her over and glared fiercely. "Little Red, Little Red, now what's that look in your eye?" He brought his foot back before bringing it forward. Ruby managed to move only a few inches. The front of Roman's foot made contact with her forehead, knocking her back. She didn't move from her spot, however, as she was still being held. Roman smirked. 'Perry' saw this. 

"Are you sure it's that bad, sir? You look like you could use this after today." The faunus said. Roman adopted a thoughtful expression. 

"Hmm . . . You know what, Perry, I think you're right!" The criminal exclaimed. He moved closer to the young huntress, pressing the barrel of Melodic Cudgel against her throat. He slowly moved it to just under her chin. "Let her go." 

"Uh, what?" The other faunus asked confusedly. 

"You heard me - let her go."

Perry and his partner exchanged glances. With a shrug, the two released their grip on the 15-year-old. Ruby, planning on taking advantage of her new situation, turned to run, only to be immediately grabbed by the arm. Ruby spun around as a fist made contact with her face. She fell back to the ground, rubbing her cheek. Her aura began to heal it, but a bruise would still be left. 

Ruby then got up again and made an attempt to punch Torchwick. Roman sidestepped easily and kneed her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She dropped to her knees, wheezing for a moment. 

"Ah ha ha HA! This is too good! C'mon, Little Red! Run away as fast as you can!"

Ruby struggled to get up again. She turned her back on him and tried to run only for the handle of Roman's cane to wrap around her neck. She was yanked back. Roman grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her to look at him before he kicked her full force in the face.

It would leave a very large bruise on the lower part of her other cheek.

Ruby slid across the ground, her eyes closed, teeth clenched as she guarded her head with her forearms. Roman laughed. 

"Wow! You are so much more manageable without that oversized gardening tool of yours." The ginger leaned on his cane, the other hand resting on his hip. Ruby stood up and made another futile attempt of attack against the criminal only for him to sidestep. His constant laughing was an indication of the extremely good time he was having. 

"Oh man, you know, Perry, I really did need this!" Roman wiped a tear from his eye. The faunus addressed gave him a thumbs up in response. Torchwick breathed a sigh of relief. He then looked down at the younger girl. He looked her over. Among other things, one thing in particular he noticed was how high her skirt was on her thighs. He stared at her for a moment before his imagination began to wonder and he felt his pants tighten. Roman planted the barrel of Melodic Cudgel on Ruby's stomach. "And I want to do so much more."

* * *

"After that, the kingdom officially sealed off the tunnels, creating the world's largest tomb. If Ruby is down there, we must find her." Doctor Oobleck says to Yang, Blake, and Weiss as they prepare to jump down and rescue Ruby. 

Rescue Ruby. They had to get there in time to save her. 

They didn't.

* * *

 

Ruby tried hard to resist against Roman's hold. Finally fed up, he sucker punched her in the side of the head, the other side colliding with the train. Now dazed an unable to resist, Roman grabbed her under the armpit. 

"If anyone disturbs us, it'll be your head," Roman said. 

"What are you doing, sir?" Perry's partner asked. 

"I don't pay you to ask questions, Terry." Roman hauled the half-conscious Ruby into the train car and slammed the large door shut behind him.

Now, Ruby was rarely afraid of something. Sure, she was like everyone else, but she never became afraid. Now was one of those rare times. She looked back up at Roman, her vision returning to normal. What she saw more than scared her. Roman wore a grin on his face, but this was not a cocky grin, a happy grin, it was nothing she had seen before. This look was predatory. Like an evil hunter looking down on his prey. He would prey on her now, not that she knew yet. 

Tossing his weapon away, he kneeled down in front of Ruby and pinned her to the floor. 

"You know, Little Red, I did not expect you to lure me here like this. I can't wait to feel everything you have, so I hope you're ready, cause I'm gonna make you scream."

Ruby began to understand, though was still a small amount naive to the situation. Weighing her body down with his, Roman moved Ruby's arms above her head. 

"N-No! Stop!" Ruby pleaded. Roman's only response was a chuckle as he advanced further, reaching up her skirt to her stockings. Ruby whimpered and struggled further, trying as hard as she could to get him off herself. As her hands and arms were being held, she resorted to kicking. Roman had one stocking down to her ankles when the constant resistance began to piss him off more. 

"Just stop already!" The ginger yelled, pushing himself off the ground and socking Ruby twice in the forehead. Her resistance lessened, allowing Roman to pull off both her stockings and throw them away. "Heh. That's more like it." Now, reaching up into her skirt, he pulled off the girl's undergarments as well. 

Ruby was slowly losing hope. No matter how hard she tried, she could not escape. 

"No . . . please . . ." The girl whimpered. 

Now weighing her body with his again, Roman leaned down to Ruby's head. He looked at the tears beginning to fall from her eyes and smirked. 

"Come on, now, Little Red. The less you fight me, the more 'fun' this'll be." He licked a tear off of her face, and just as she was about to protest, he forced his lips on hers, holding them there. Ruby started to squirm more, trying harder to fight. Her muffled screams pleased Roman, as did the sound of her hyperventilating. This, however, was when he pulled away. Ruby gasped for air, tears falling from her squeezed-shut eyes even heavier now. 

The criminal's smirk widened, knowing what he wanted to do next. And Ruby knew hope was lost when she heard a zipping noise. 

"Stop," Ruby whined, hoping beyond all hope this would come to an end. "Please stop." Her voice was quiet, weak, pleading. Roman was enjoying every second of the girl's suffering. The young girl panicked even more when she felt something press up against her. "Please no!" She softly cried, tears like waterfalls flowing from her eyes. 

Then it was there. Then she felt it. A burning, searing pain between her legs. Ruby cried out in agony, this being one of the worst pains she'd ever felt. Roman looked to the blood that leaked from her onto the floor and smiled wider. 

"Come on, Red, SCREAM FOR ME!" He yelled, pushing himself farther. The criminal received his wish as Ruby screamed, her voice lasting for only a few seconds. "Hmm, you know, this is no way to treat a man," Roman said, pulling out. 

He then proceeded to play with her and, sure enough, as was the natural reaction to stimulants, her body began to lubricate itself. All through this, Ruby sat there, shuttering, whimpering, and crying, as there was nothing she could do to stop him. She felt pained, she felt humiliated, she felt violated, and she felt ashamed. 

Torchwick, now satisfied with Ruby's current state, positioned himself. Without warning, he pushed himself on her, violating her again. Ruby tensed and her whimpering stopped, now replaced with sobbing. 

"Now THIS is high-quality stuff!" He exclaimed. "I hope you're ready for the best part, Red, cause this is gonna hurt." He then started pleasuring himself, pushing himself in and out, violating her over, and over, and over. Ruby's breath caught in her throat, too much in shock to resist and Roman wasn't slowing down. However, he eventually felt that his time was coming to an end. He leaned down to Ruby's ear. 

"Now, I think you oughta be thankful. I'm not gonna finish inside you! No, no, it would much too hard to do this again if you were pregnant. That being said . . ." He pulled out just as he hit his limit, finishing on her rather than in. "I'm not robbing myself of the satisfaction." 

Roman smirked one last time before putting his pants all the way back on, leaving Ruby's shaking, whimpering form on the floor of the train car. Suddenly, a distant explosion caught his attention. "Dammit!" He muttered, pulling the train car open. "The hell's going on here?!" He yelled to one of the White Fang standing guard. 

"I, uh-" One of them started, only to be interrupted. 

"I don't care! Just get the girl in here and take her to the maintenance escape tunnel and bring her back to the White Fang! Go, go!" 

The grunt hurriedly moved to the train car, climbed inside, and threw the nearly unconscious Ruby over his shoulder before running his way to a small door in the side of one of the tunnels. He hefted the heavy door open and ran through, Ruby still on his shoulder. No more than a minute later, the girl slipped away, entering what would be the first of many nightmares. 

* * * 

Yang, Weiss, Blake, Oobleck, and Zwei fought their way to the train station with no sign of Ruby. Blake suggested the seemingly obvious: Ruby was on the train. Only, they didn't find her there. Nor did they find her when the train crashed. Roman was taken away by Emerald and Mercury before anyone had the chance to question him. Needless to say, Yang was worried sick. Everyone was. They hadn't the slightest clue. 

* * *

Ruby awoke with a start, most likely from the dream she just had. Her breaths were deep and labored. She tried to feel her body only to realize: she couldn't. Her arms were chained to the wall behind her. She was still without her stockings and underwear. The concrete ground felt cold beneath her as she sat there, unable to escape; too tired to move. There was no cage, though the room may as well have been. The entire room was a dull yellow/white concrete. The room itself was huge - easily the size of Beacon's cafeteria. Oddly enough, it was completely empty. A metal door on the other side of the room was the only thing that indicated escape. 

Ruby finally managed to calm herself down enough to focus. When she did, she remembered the events of the past few hours. She lowered her head, about to start crying when the door was slammed open. She looked up, eyes wide to see a White Fang member there, only, he looked different. He had a head of red-brown hair as well as bullhorns. His mask adorned red markings and he carried a long rectangular sheath in which Ruby could only guess was for some special purpose. 

"So it's finally awake." The bull faunus said. Ruby remained silent. "I'm surprised you aren't more banged up, given what Torchwick did to you." Ruby's eyes widened. 

How did he . . . ?

"If you're wondering how I know, well, it was obvious the moment you were carried through that door. And now look - one of Beacon's prized students and friend of Blake Belladonna." He sighed. "I should just kill you piece of human trash now. But I think you'll still have use in the future. And the present." 

The bull faunus walked toward Ruby slowly, kneeling down when he got to her. Not a moment later, he smacked Ruby across the face, leaving a red mark on her already bruised cheek. He punched her in the gut, kneed her in the chest. When he finished, he held her by the chin. "I think I should do more. You humans deserve it, after all. And I don't like to keep my subordinates waiting. Today's been hard for me. I think you can help make it better . . ."

Adam Taurus released a different kind of stress that night, leaving him all the more relaxed. He didn't do it for that, however. The things Adam said to Ruby while he did it to her; he wasn't doing for the same reason Roman did: his sick pleasure. No. Adam wanted to break her. 

And that's how it was for one whole week. Adam and the White Fang had their way with the poor girl until the day an inside agent managed to get Ruby's location to Ozpin. They sent an invasion force to retrieve her. Luckily Adam wasn't there. Yang was the one who found her. She was bloodied, beaten, and broken. They managed to medevac Ruby to Beacon's hospital wing where Ozpin, Yang, Weiss, and Blake all await the news. The door to Ruby's room opened and they were beckoned in by a doctor.

* * *

"Well, I've got news." The doctor said. Yang worriedly looked at her sister's sleeping form on the hospital bed. She then turned and looked at the doctor with pleading eyes. 

"According to the tests, Ruby Rose has suffered from many injuries both minor and . . . a little worse. She has two concussions, three hairline fractures, burns wounds, and lacerations. She also suffered blunt force trauma." 

Ozpin kept a stern face while the other members of RWBY looked at their leader in dismay. The doctor sighed heavily as he hardened his heart for what he had to say next. 

"There is, however, something else." He said.

"What?" Yang asked, fear entering her voice. "What could be worse than this?"The doctor took a deep breath and proceeded. 

"After the standard full body check-up, we saw heavy . . . anal and . . . vaginal bruising." Anyone could see the professional was losing his cool. "It would appear that the White Fang had their way with Miss Rose in . . . more ways than one."

The room was filled with a deafening silence. "I am so, sorry. I will leave you now so that you may . . . discuss this matter among yourselves." The doctor quickly left, knowing it was not in his place to be there at the moment. Speaking of . . .

Weiss stood there, both her hands cupped over her mouth as the doctor left. She found it very difficult to keep the tears threatening to fall in. Blake was in a similar place - one hand rested on her mouth. The cat faunus felt sick to her stomach. Just the thought; the image, made her want to break down. Yang, however, felt the worst. Her hands were at her sides, balled into fists. Tears leaked freely from her eyes. When she looked as if she was going to explode, the felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to see Ozpin, his eyes locked on the bed. 

"This is not the place for anger, Yang," Ozpin said. The blonde did nothing to hide her feelings. 

"I just- I don't . . . I'm supposed to be her sister. I'm supposed to protect her! This . . . this is all my fault." Yang looked to the ground, her hands balled so tightly, blood began pooling between her fingers.

"It is not you at fault." Ozpin started. Before Yang could argue, he started talking again. "No one in this room is to blame for what happened. The only fingers we can point are to the ones responsible for this horrid act."

"But I-"Yang started.

"You all must remain strong from now on. For Ruby's sake, as she will need you, all of you, to be there for her in the time that is to come." 

The three girls moved together and nodded to each other before turning to their headmaster.

"We won't let you down," Yang said. 

"It is not I to whom you should be making that promise," Ozpin looked at them each in the eye. 

"Wha- oh, right." Yang looked down sadly before turning and walking to Ruby's bed. She put a hand on her sleeping sister's shoulder and was quickly followed by Blake and Weiss.

We can only hope she gets better with time, Ozpin thought.

But she didn't. 

Ruby had woke up the next day and was only able to hold a conversation for a few minutes before asking to be alone. After, the doctors and nurses reported hearing crying coming from her room. Ruby was also plagued by terrible nightmares that often had her team called. And after a week had passed, Ruby had gotten no better. A single idea comes to Ozpin. A last resort definitely, but necessary for the fastest and most stable recovery no doubt. 

"I assume there has been little progress with Ms. Rose?" Glynda asked. Ozpin sighed. 

"No. Even after all this time, her condition has yet to improve. I think I'll have to make a call."

"A call? To whom?" Glynda asked.

"There is one person out there who knows more about this than anyone else. And he owes me a favor."

"Interesting. I've never heard you mention this individual."

"Oh, you know him. Think about what I've said- 'has the most experience' with what Ms. Rose is going through. 'Owes me a favor'. Do either of those ring a bell?" Ozpin took a sip from his mug. 

"No, I can't say that they do. I'm sure there are many experienced medical professionals that owe you something."

"Ironwood wants to kill him," Ozpin said, keeping the neutral look. 

"What? Him?! Ozpin . . . well-" Glynda sighed, "I don't approve, but yes, I suppose now we are in need of desperate measures."

"Exactly. Now, don't you have a class to teach?" Ozpin picked up his scroll and began dialing a number. Glynda simply nodded and walked to the elevator. 

"Please, (Y/N), we need you. Now more than ever." 

And all the way in Mistral, a young man sitting at a bar stool hears the tone of an incoming call, and feels a buzzing in his pocket.

 

OK! Chapter one is done. Hopefully, I did this right? Or at least the scene. What scene? THAT scene. I hope no one got off on that. It wasn't the point. Either way, I hope you'll stay tuned; I plan on finishing this.


	2. The Life in the Day of the Dream Catcher

It was an early night in Mistral now. The shattered moon was rising in the sky and people were coming home from work. In the lower parts of the city was a popular tavern. Really it was meant for the thieves and scoundrels of the city and it had been used for more than one get away. Nonetheless, it was still a good place. Up at the actual bar sat a young man, age seventeen. No one knew of course, other than the bartender, whom he had become friends with over the time he'd been there. 

The teen sitting at the counter was covered in a large black trench coat, the hood up. Seeing the face of a criminal in this tavern isn't something most would bat an eyelash at. However, if you're wanted worldwide, the rules change. 

If one would look closely, they'd see the glove part of the gauntlets he wore on each arm. They were covered in large dark purple crystals that any huntsman would identify as gravity Dust. If the one person looked down, they'd see greaves on his feet going up to just below the knee, also covered in gravity Dust crystals. 

Experimental Atlas technology, it was. It was also partially why he was wanted worldwide. Because he stole it. Duh. 

(Y/N) was known for many things. His status in a Rogue Huntsman being one of them. Of course, he was a rather unorthodox rogue, unlike the others. He was also very well known for the millions in bounty money currently on his head, both official, legal bounties, and some underworld. Atlas's bounty was tens of millions of lien. But that's what happens when you cut the headmaster of Atlas's Academy in half, steal experimental weapons, and blackmail their Council. 

His deeds as a menace were only matched by that of a hero, however. Though not everyone saw him that way despite his heroic actions. But that's why he was rogue. He wanted to take the law and punishment into his own hands. Kill those who deserved to die, rather than sparing them because of criminal justice laws. This was why he had few friends, however, as if he had to look for someone, it was usually to kill them. 

That being said, he played differently, not going after just anyone. He only killed the people that deserved it. He didn't go around killing police chiefs and government officials. To be straight, he was still a huntsman, just one that worked outside the law. 

There was one thing that set (Y/N) away from even the other rogues similar to him. It was where the nickname 'Dream Catcher' came from. This was the long line of trauma victims he had helped. And it was all thanks to his semblance and . . . personal experience. Because of this, he worked as an unofficial, under the table therapist. Though 'therapist' was hardly a word he'd use. He actually had a distaste for the lot of them. They say they understand; that they know the pain. They can't know unless they've felt it before.

* * *

(Y/N) took another sip of bourbon from the glass in his armored hand. It was supposed to be his last one for the night. Some there (himself included) still couldn't believe he was able to keep his alcohol so well, let alone drink it. It took a while for him to convince the bartender to let him. Don was his name. He was one of (Y/N)'s few friends. The male visited the bar quite often, so they were close. 

"Need another?"

(Y/N) was broken from his thoughts when he heard Don's voice. He looked at the bartender confused for a moment before looking down at his empty glass. 

"Oh. No, I think that'll be the last for tonight. Can't get drunk here, you know? People know I come here."

"Whatever you say, kid." Don picked up the glass and started wiping it with a rag. A ringing suddenly caught (Y/N)'s attention again as he felt a vibration in his pocket. Pulling his scroll out, he tapped the button and opened it. A groan of annoyance immediately escaped his lips as he saw the caller ID. 

"Wait, Don." (Y/N) raised he left arm. The bartender looked back at him. "Make that a double." Don chuckled. 

"That bad, huh?"

(Y/N) stood up from the seat. "Yeah, getting a call from the big man up the elevator shaft."

"Ooh. Heh. Probably wants a return on his 'rogue huntsman' package. 

"Yeah, probably. Be right back." (Y/N) walked out the back door and leaned on the wall before answering the call. "Yes, Ozpin, something you need? Right now? At this very moment?"

"Based on that I assume you are doing well."

"Oh yeah, my day was just fine up until about 20 seconds ago when I saw it was you calling me."

"Honestly, I don't know what I've done to deserve this," Ozpin said, a hint of humor in his voice. 

"Nothing, but I know that it's never something good if you have to call me for it," (Y/N) said.

"You would be correct to assume this," Ozpin said, his response a groan from the boy. "I'm calling in a favor." (Y/N) facepalmed. 

"And what if I'm busy?" The rogue asked. Ozpin sighed.

"When you went to kill the men that hurt your family, did I stop you?"

"No." (Y/N) sighed. 

"When you wanted to disappear so you could take the law into your own hands, did I stop you?"

"No." He said, lower and more dejected. 

"When you went to Atlas, nearly killed my close friend, and stole a piece of dangerous technology, did I hunt you down as the others did?"

" . . . No, you didn't."

"Exactly. I think this will be of interest to you anyway." 

"Oh, I'm giddy with excitement."

"It happened to one of my students," Ozpin said darkly, his tone taking a complete 180.

"What happened, Oz?"

"It, (Y/N). IT happened. She was captured by Roman Torchwick and the White Fang and we were not able to rescue her in time. Now, I, her professors, and her teammates and friends all fear for her safety, both physical and mental. I am not ignorant to the work you have been doing outside of killing. And now I need you to do that work for me. And if not for me, then for the innocent girl who is now traumatized beyond anything I have seen before. Please, (Y/N), we need your help."

The rogue huntsman leaned against the wall, his eyes down. He sighed before speaking. 

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thank you. This means more than you know."

"Don't thank me yet. I could run off once I see her." (Y/N) stood up straight and went for the door. 

"I know you'll fix this. You always do." Ozpin said. 

Not wanting the conversation to get sentimental, (Y/N) hung up before pulling the back door open and walking back in. 

"Ah, I was worried you ditched me without paying," Don said with a smile. "Your drinks are there." He gestured to two small glasses on the long thin counter table in front of the stools. "So what's the scoop? Ozgod want anything special?"

"He needs my help with a student. Apparently, a criminal had his way with her. He didn't tell me who, though. Which is honestly better. If word gets out about a client, well, wouldn't be the first time someone held a gun to the head of someone I was trying to protect."

"Damn. That's terrible. You know, people are lucky you're here. There just seems to be no end to the fuckers and fuckups in this world."

"Emphasis on the fuckers." (Y/N) joked. 

"Hmm . . . You know, you're the last person I'd think would joke about this sort of thing." Don said, raising a brow. 

"I joke about it around friends. Lightening the mood always helps. Not survivors, though. Reminding them of the trauma is on the list of 'shit-you-don't-do'. Unless of course, you have to."

"I don't even want to imagine your line of work, kid." The bartender cleaned a glass as he spoke. 

"I don't want to imagine you in my line of work, Don. I like this place. Wouldn't be the same without you." (Y/N) picked up the glasses and quickly downed them both at the same time. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Ozpickle needs me." (Y/N) barely heard Don mutter 'that's a new one' as he tossed a few blue lien cards on the table and walked out. 

(Y/N) walked through the dark streets of lower Mistral. Definitely not a place you want to be at all, let alone at night. Add that to the fact the killing bounty hunters was a common past time for him, and you get one fucked up cracked-ass-moon lit stroll. 

At the sound of unwelcomed footsteps, (Y/N) made several wrong turns. The footsteps began to get louder, causing him to smirk. They’re getting cocky.   
A few minutes later, (Y/N) walked into a dead end. He faced the wall, waiting for a sign, which he received when he heard a ‘fwip’ noise. (Y/N) quickly craned his head to the right, dodging the arrow that went past his head and into the wall. 

“You know, I’d be down for this any other night, but someone needs help right now, so can we pick this up in a few weeks?” (Y/N) asked.   
The rogue heard the strain of another arrow being knocked. “I’ll take that as a ‘no’.” (Y/N) tensed his muscles and got ready to move. At the sound of the arrow release, he jumped into a spinning backflip, grabbing the arrow as it moved below him. He landed facing the assassin, holding the arrow in his right hand. The head glowed a pale blue and water vapor slowly steamed away. “Ice Dust. You know, that’s a really gruesome way to go if it hits you.”

The assassin said nothing. Instead, he took his bow in his hands and pulled it apart, transforming it into dual short swords, the metal colored teal. (Y/N) lowered into a fighting stance, readying himself for his inevitable charge. Not a second later, the assassin pushed off the ground, launching himself at (Y/N), his swords raised diagonally. (Y/N) dashed back, avoiding the attack. The assailant stood up slowly as if scrutinizing the rogue, judging his reaction time. (Y/N), knowing the fight would become serious sooner or later, decided to activate his weapons. 

Swinging his arms out before him, (Y/N) slammed his fist into his open hand, empowering the Dust gauntlets. The crystals flashed a bright purple before the glow was reduced to a dull light. His greaves did the same, receiving the upper's activation signal.

The two combatants stood off with one another, neither making a move. The dual wielding assassin took a step forward, then (Y/N), and faster than trackable by the untrained eye, dust was blown into the air as they met in the middle. A loud clang can be heard as either sword is met with an armored forearm. Both fighters pushed each other back before rebounding into another attempt to kill the other. (Y/N) swung his right fist which the assassin swiftly ducked under before he swung his left sword down at (Y/N)'s head, which in return was blocked by the right gauntlet. (Y/N) spun into a kick with his left foot, dodged by the assassin.

Empowering the Dust in his greaves, (Y/N) jumped back, blasting kinetic energy from them, boosting him by ten or so feet. Once he landed, he did the same thing with the right gauntlet. When he punched the air, a seemingly invisible force shoots from the armored weapon, a small burst of purple energy extending out no more than three inches from the knuckles. The unexpecting assassin was thrown away, landing on his back ungracefully. Starting a back roll, he put his hands under his shoulders and pushed, whipping his hips into a kip. The assassin immediately charged again. The rogue had almost no issue evading him.

He dodged right, avoiding a vertical swing, ducked under an attempt to cleave his head, and jumped over a leg sweep. From his airborne position, he kicked with his right foot. The toe made contact with the assassin's forehead. Utilizing the energy from the gravity Dust, the kick sent the assassin flying. (Y/N) waited patiently for him to get up, watching as the dazed, most likely bounty hunter, struggle back to his feet. "Let me tell you something," (Y/N) started. "If you're going for a bounty-" the assassin brought back his swords and jumped high into the air, coming down hard. (Y/N) outstretched his hands. When the blades came down, he caught one in either armored hand. The assassin was face to face with him now. "Make sure you've done your research." Holding the assassin's blades in place, (Y/N) brought his leg up, his right greave starting to glow brighter each second, signifying a stronger power build up before he kicked his leg into the assassin's stomach. The shockwave was visible from the impact, the sound like a gunshot as the assassin was sent flying into a wall into which he was embedded a foot at the deepest.

(Y/N) dropped the swords the ground before breaking either under a power stomp before, not without an annoyed sigh, walking away. 

30 or so minutes later, (Y/N) had left the capital city and was now walking toward a specific clearing in the woods outside of the walls. Up ahead, he saw the lights of a village and knew he was close. Today he didn't feel like dealing with the prying questions of gate guards, so he stuck to the shadows of the treeline as he passed by the guard posts. Not a minute later he came across the clearing, though it was more like a field. It was not the place itself that was important, however, it was what rested in the middle of it. His mouth curved into a smirk as he saw the atlesian bullhead sitting there quietly. Had it been any other bullhead, it would have been tracked by sensors, but this was a special ship. Its paint job a unique red-black triangular camo unseen on other military equipment. 

The Bullhead Mk 3 stealth unit. Also a prototype from Atlas. (Y/N) may or may not have stolen it during his escape with the gravity gauntlets and greaves. It had the ability to make itself untrackable by any means of radar or thermal. The only way to know it was coming was seeing it with the naked eye. 

(Y/N) tapped a button on the hull next to the large deployment side door. Hearing the mechanical whirs of the motors, he watched the door side out and up, allowing him entry. He stepped inside and pressed a similar button on the inner wall, closing the door behind him. The inside of the bullhead looked like someone's messy room, various items on the floor, as well as a sleeping bag. Because of the rogue's wanted status with the world, staying in hotels or inns was a big no-no. (Y/N) stepped over his things and into the cockpit where he sat down in the pilot's seat. From there, he began tapping buttons and flipping the switches, powering the ship up. Front lights activated as the sound of the engines warming filled his ears. A long moment later, (Y/N) pulled the throttle toward him, aiming the engines down before gripping the horizontal handle that controlled engine power and pushing it away from him. The bullhead gradually lifted off the ground before it blasted off into the night, heading to Vale. 

* * *   
Yang, Blake, and Weiss stood outside Ruby's hospital room, waiting around. For what, they didn't know, but after a week or reported sobbing, they didn't intend on going back to their dorm just yet. A single window sat next to the door, which Weiss was currently leaning on, looking into the room at her broken leader. You're a dolt, but you didn't deserve this, the heiress thought. The sudden sound of heels made the three turn to look down the hallway to see Professor Goodwitch on her way. 

"P-Professor! I-We're sorry, but after everything we heard . . ." Weiss started.

"We just didn't want to leave Ruby alone." Yang finished. Glynda out a hand up to stop any further excuse or commentary. 

"It's quite alright, students. In fact, I rather expected this behavior out of you. But do not fret; I am not here to send you away."

" . . . You're not?" Blake asked, her voice, as well as her facial features, showing signs of shock at the fact that the strictest teacher at the school was telling them it was fine to stay out after curfew and do it to watch someone sleep. 

"I know watching a comrade, especially someone as close as she was to you all, get hurt. And considering just how Miss Rose was harmed, your persistence is of no surprise. But that's not what I came here to say."

"Then why are you here?" Weiss stepped away from the windowsill and toward the blonde professor. 

"I have news. News that hopefully the rest of you will find pleasing. It seems Ozpin has elected to send for . . . special help for your leader."

"What kind of special help?" Yang asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice. Something which they all picked up on. 

"Special as in professional?" Weiss asked, raising he brow. Glynda nodded, about to confirm it, until Yang spoke first. 

"So Ozpin got her a therapist?" Yang asked the question as more of a statement than not. 

"That . . . can't be all bad. Maybe they'll be able to get through to her." Blake said hopefully. She noticed her partner's critical and frustrated expression. "Yang?" The brawler sighed. 

"I know she probably needs it, but, I just don't know how to feel about letting random strangers with who-knows-what on their agenda into Ruby's life right now."

"Yang, they're a therapist." Weiss reasoned. "I highly doubt they'd try anything like that. Not here of all places. Besides, I'm sure Headmaster Ozpin knows what he's doing. Right, Ms. Goodwitch?" The professor nervously smiled for a second before putting her straight face back on. 

"Yes and no."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Yang kept her voice down but everyone present could hear the growing frustration in her voice. 

"Well, he is certainly 'therapeutic', but he's very different from any therapist you'll ever meet. That and the fact that he's wanted worldwide." Glynda muttered that last part, low enough not to be heard by the others. Before Yang could question her further, Glynda spoke again. "But I assure you, there is no one more experienced or equipped for the job. He has done this many times and I'm certain he'll know what to do."

"Interesting." Weiss started. "When is he supposed to get here?"

"He should be arriving within the hour. What he says and does may seem odd or too much, but for this to work, you have to trust him and his judgment, even if you may not want to."

"That doesn't give me high hopes," Yang said dejectedly. Glynda gave a sad look of understanding before turning and walking away. 

* * *

The bullhead came into a landing at the docking pad, turning to face away from the school as the back door slowly opened. Out stepped the cloaked form of (Y/N), the hood on his coat still up. His ship's door closed behind him as he walked into the courtyard. Now, where was the infirmary? (Y/N) asked himself, looking around at the different buildings. 

"Mr. (L/N)?"

(Y/N) froze, hiding the fact that he nearly shit his pants well. He turned to address the professor with a neutral face. "Where is she?" He asked. Glynda held her hand up to signal she had something to say. And one does not speak over the Goodwitch. 

"Ozpin would like to speak with you first."

"Of course. We can't come here under special circumstances without seeing the wonderful wizard of Ozpin."

"I could do without the sarcasm. In fact, I expect your best behavior while we're here, as I doubt it'll be easy for Ozpin to explain to Ironwood why the one that cut him half is currently residing here."

"Right, well, with any luck, I should be out of here faster than Ironwood receives the green light to arrest me against Ozpin's wishes." The two stepped into the elevator up to Ozpin's office.

"I wouldn't be too sure. This may be a little harder than anyone you've had to work with before."

"How so?"

"You'll find out. Better if Ozpin tells you himself." Glynda's voice adopted a solemn tone. 

"Well, that's a cheery thought." (Y/N) said, a hint of sarcasm betraying the statement. 

"I so very well hope you won't act like this when in the presence of Miss Rose." Glynda sighed. 

"'Miss Rose'? Who is . . . oh. Is she . . . ?"

"Yes."

"I see. Well, you should know that someone of my experience would never do something like that. This line of work gets me a lot more knowledge of the psyche than I'd like to admit."

"I'd hope so, but only time will tell. I only hope you can save Miss Rose from what it is she's going through. She is . . . well, she's very important to Ozpin and me."

"I'll do whatever I can. But I can't do anything until I know who she is and what happened to her." The elevator stopped, reaching the top floor. A single word, 'enter' is heard on the speakers and the door opened. At his glass desk sat the headmaster himself. The gears in the sealing ticked loud but gently as the room was illuminated by a soft light. 

"Ah, Mr. (L/N), pleased you could join us. We have much to discuss and there is a girl down in the infirmary who could use your assistance. So please, take a seat and let's set you up. You may very well be here for a while."


	3. The Unprofessional

"Jesus."

"The fuck?"

"Oh my god."

I muttered to myself disgustedly as I walked down the hallway in Beacon's medial wing. I knew this would be bad, but Glynda wasn't fucking with me. A single girl; fucking fifteen! Stuck in captivity by the White Fang for a week! And with the medical data provided to me, it was clear what had happened. 

I continued scrolling down through the report on my scroll, reading up on 'Ruby Rose.' Poor thing. No one deserved what happened to her. I mean, no 'deserves' to get raped, but this scale is like nothing I've ever seen. This will be the hardest thing - the hardest person - I've ever had to help. But let no one say I've abandoned a patient because I haven't. I don't plan on it either, but this is going to take a lot of work. I'll be here a lot longer than anticipated. 

As I noticed I was nearing her room, I saw three people standing in front of it. They were presumably the other three members of team RWBY. The one in white was easily recognizable as Weiss Schnee, and the other two must have been Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long. Considering the black-haired one's resemblance to Ghira and kali Belladonna, it's given she's Blake. The blonde must be Yang then. 

Yang was the first to notice me. She stood up, almost defensively as she seemingly sized me up, not that I could blame her though. I'm not exactly the most subtle person walking through the place right now.

I stopped in front of them, causing the other two to notice. When I stopped in front of the door, all three of them stood in front of it. "The room of Ruby Rose, I presume." 

"Who's asking?" Yang glared.

"Didn't Glynda tell you I was coming?" I raised an unseen eyebrow. 

"The . . . professional?" Blake asked, the features of her face expressing disbelief. 

"Yep. That's me. Now if you'll excuse me-" I started, only to be interrupted by Weiss.

"Hang on; you say you're a professional. Like a therapist? Forgive me, but you hardly look like any therapist I've ever seen."

"That's because I'm not, Ms. Schnee. So, please." I gestured at the door and tried to move to it before Yang blocked my advance with her arm. 

"She's sleeping." The blonde said. 

"And that's exactly why I need to see her now. Did Glynda not explain any of this to you?" I asked, clearly getting annoyed. 

"She never explained to us why you need to see her when she's sleeping," Weiss argued. 

"Listen, you three can come in with me; I don't care. But this part is vital, and it's much better if I can get to her sooner. So can you please step out of the way so I can help your sister. Please, Yang." I had my arms out in a pleading manner, trying to convince her. 

"Professor Goodwitch did say to trust what he said . . ." Blake said, looking away momentarily before sighing. "He said we can go in too. If he tries anything, you'll be there to keep her safe, but we may as well see what makes him so valuable." Blake put a reassuring hand on her partner's shoulder. Yang let a sigh of her own escape her lips before she looked me in the eye. 

"Fine - you can go in. But if you try anything, so help me-" 

I cut her off with a raise of my hand before pushing past her and gripping the handle of the door to the room. With little effort, I pulled the door to me slowly, granting access to the room inside. It was mostly dark, the bedside window filling the room with the white, lunar light of the shattered, natural satellite of Remnant. Ruby's head was exposed above the covers of her blanket, though her body was the least of my concerns. Her facial expression showed obvious signs of struggle; pain even. Ruby shifted and turned, her closed eyes squinting. 

She was having a nightmare. 

In her sleep, she whimpered. "No . . . please stop." I noticed tears at her eyelids. She must really be taking this hard, I thought.

I stood by her bed, looking down at her as she moved about uncomfortably. I sighed, knowing what I did next wouldn't be easy. 

"She's having a nightmare." I heard Yang say gravely behind me. "I have to wake her up." She started to walk for her sister but stopped when I held my arm out in front of her. "What? Hey, I need to wake her up." Yang protested. I shook my head and took a breath. 

"You want to know why I'm so damned important?" I asked hypothetically. I reached out to Ruby with my right arm before placing my index finger on her left temple and thumb on the right. A faint (f/c) glow could be seen coming around the places where I touched her, my irises emitting the same color. I quickly recoiled my hand, tears pricking at my eyes at a wall of raw emotion slammed into me like a train. I stepped back from the shock, my left hand on my chest. 

"What are you doing?" I heard Yang ask, but I paid no attention to her. My mind was still calming down, accompanied by the large breathes I took. 

"It's okay," I said between breaths. "It's okay. You've done this before." I finally managed a deep inhalation, calming myself down. From there, I proceeded to place my hand in the same position as before, the glow returning. For several seconds I stood there, watching Ruby as she gradually calmed down. 

"Wait - Stop." Yang said panicked. I did nothing if the sort, continuing until Ruby's movement was minimal before I released my hold on her and put my hand down.

"Come on. Let's let her sleep." I said, turning and walking out of the room. Her team soon followed. I was about to walk away. Yang, however, had something else in mind.

"Wait." She demanded. "What was that? What did you do to her?" 

"Relax, Yang, I did nothing to harm her." I tried to reassure. 

"Then what did you do? I mean, one does not simply magically calm someone down?" Weiss raised a brow half of suspicion and half of genuine curiosity. I sighed, but relented, knowing it would come up sooner or later. 

"That, ladies, was my semblance. Dream Catcher, it's been called. It allows me to see what people are dreaming about and, with time and control, make alterations to it."

"What do you mean by control?" Yang tiredly and worriedly. 

"My semblance is convenient for situations like this, but it has a setback. When I use it, I feel all the emotions they feel in the dream. This gets worse in a nightmare and, as I'm sure you could tell, Ruby has a lot of pent up emotions right now. So when I used the semblance . . ." I trailed off, looking at them hoping they'd get the point. Their faces showed marks of understanding, thankfully. "It gets better with time, though. The more I use it on a single person, the easier it gets and the more emotional control I get. And with control comes the ability to change their dreams more and more. 

I looked at the remaining members of team RWBY for approval, all of them averting their gaze so they could think of what I said.

"Well, okay," Yang said, her fist clenched in determination. "You do what you have to do, just make sure we get our Ruby back, just the way she was before."

I had started to walk away when she said this, causing me to stop. 

"I can't do that," I said, looking back partially. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss angrily asked. 

"It means I can't make her the way she was before." My voice carried no emotion as if I was used to saying it. Suddenly, a pair of hands hoisted me up and pushed me against the wall. 

"What the hell do you mean 'can't make her the way she was before'?! You mean to say that you've come all the way here just to say Ruby will never be happy again!?" 

I struggled against her grip for a second before speaking. 

"Don't put words in my mouth! I said she'll never be THE SAME." I wrestled free of her grip and dropped myself back to the ground. "Something like this changes people, Yang. There are three ways that this'll end. She'll either come out of this stronger than she was before . . . or in need of a mental hospital." I turned around and started walking away. 

"And the last?" Yang asked. I hesitated for a moment, stopping. "You said there were three ways this could end. What's the last?" 

" . . . Get some sleep." I walked away from them down the hallway, intent on getting to my temporary room so I could think this through.

* * *

I woke up quickly the next morning, at my desk, I might add, and was now on my way to RWBY's dorm. Once I arrived, it was 8:40. Other students were walking around, getting on to their first classes. Some gave me odd glances, which I easily ignored. Not like I wasn't used to them, anyway. "Excuse me?" I turned around at the voice to look into the vibrant green eyes of one Pyrrha Nikos. She was easily recognizable, considering her fame. Behind her stood three other people. There was a scraggly blonde with horribly ineffective looking armor, a male looking of Asian origin with long black hair and a very noticeable pink strip in it. Next to him looked like a hyperactive ginger with shoulder length hair and turquoise eyes. "May I ask why you're standing in front of team RWBY's room? I haven't seen you around so . . . " 

I guess not everyone was told about me, I thought.

"I was brought here by Ozpin to . . . help Ms. Rose through her current situation." I said, my nearly unseen face (still shrouded by the hood) emotionless. 

"You're a . . . therapist?" The blonde asked, surprised. 

"I'll let the rest of her team fill you in on the details later, as I've only excused them from their first class. You all, however, should be going. I may not be a student here but there's not a huntsman alive who doesn't fear Glynda's wrath." I said. 

"He does have a point." The one in green started. "Besides, I'm sure RWBY can handle it on their own." Pyrrha nodded. 

"Okay then. Good luck." She started walking away but partially turned back. "Oh, and . . . well, whoever you are, please, bring Ruby back to us." I nodded my head. 

"I won't leave until she's fully recovered."

"Thanks. We all care about her. A lot. And it means a lot that you're here helping us." The blonde smiled, stepping forward.

"It's what I do." I waved them off, redirecting my attention to the door before me. Not a moment after that team turned the corner, the door to RWBY's dorm opened, revealing Yang in the lead saying something with her head partially turned away from me. She wasn't looking and as a result, walked straight into me. "Wha- Oh, I'm so-" She looked at me oddly for a second before realizing who it was. "Therapist?" Yang asked. The heads of her teammates popped up on either of her shoulders. 

"Yes. Come, we have much to discuss." I turn away from them and start my walk to the infirmary. 

"What about class?" Weiss asked. 

"You've been excused from it until we're done," I said, waving them off. I seem to do that to a lot of people. 

As we walked, I started questioning them - basic information that would make this a lot easier in the long run. 

"So, Ruby Rose; 15, and your leader. How are her living conditions? Is the hospital wing a nightly thing or . . . ?" I asked. 

"N-No. She's been staying there all week. I don't even think she's left her bed. I-" Yang started. I could hear the concern in her voice, though, I cut her off before she could finish her sentence. 

"Nope." I started. "Problem number one right there. She needs to get out of that room and back in class now."

"But she might not be ready." Weiss protested. 

"Doesn't matter if she's 'ready'. And I can say she sure as hell won't get any more ready sitting in that hospital bed. Moreover, the longer she sits there alone, the more unneeded and weak she's going to feel. She'll sit there and bask in her negative emotions as she steadily sinks deeper and deeper into a bottomless pit that becomes harder and harder to save her from. How willing has she been to talk to any of you?"

"Not very," Yang said dejectedly. 

"We've gotten a few words in to her, but she asks to be alone most of the time." I heard Weiss behind me. I immediately recognized the behavior, as it was common in situations like this. 

"Exactly," I stated. "She needs to get out and start talking to people again. The activity will also be crucial to her recovery, as when she starts to walk around, she'll regain a small amount of confidence in controlling her body."

"Okay, you've lost me," Yang said. I sighed. 

"When this happens to you, one of the things you feel is a drop in confidence. You feel like your body is a burden. And with how long Ruby was with them, I'm willing to bet she also feels as of she has little to no control of it, considering she only really moved when it was the White Fang 'moving' her."

"O-Oh. I see." Yang said." I could hear the tone of her voice. It showed she was worried, but felt utterly hopeless in helping. 

"But what if she gets scared? What if she really can't handle it yet? Or handle being alone in class?" Weiss asked, less in a mean way and more with curiosity. 

"Then tell Ozpin I said she needs to have at least one of her teammates with her at all times. At least until she trusts me enough to be there with her instead. He'll make the change." We entered the hospital wing and continued to Ruby's room. "Next on the list, tell me about her. Who is Ruby Rose? What does she like? Hobbies? Hopes? Dreams? Lay it on me."

"Ah, well, when we were kids, she enjoyed being read to," Yang suggested. 

"She's a complete weapons freak." Weiss deadpanned. 

"She loves cookies, though I'm certain her favorite food is strawberries," Blake added thoughtfully. 

Hmm, I thought. I can work with this. We neared Ruby's door, eventually stopping right in front of it. 

"Alright, listen to you three, I don't know if you knew this over the past week, but Ruby will be extremely sensitive to everything, so be mindful of what you do physically, and be tactful with what you say." They nodded in acceptance. I took a breath and knocked on the door. I then gripped the handle and pulled it open to reveal the girl herself up and looking out her bedside window. She quickly turned to us when we walked in.

"Huh? Y-Yang?" she asked quietly, though it may have just been her voice. 

"Morning, Sis!" Yang said happily, though she kept her voice down. Yang walked over to her sister and gave her a quick hug. 

"This is nice and all, but, w-why are you guys . . . ?" She trailed off when she saw me. I wasn't going to lie to myself. She had the most beautiful, and I think only, pair of silver eyes I'd ever seen. I quickly shook the thought from my head, however, and moved to greet her. 

"Hello, Ruby. My name's (Y/N). (Y/N) (L/N)." I removed my hood, letting the light shine on my face. I gave her soft eyes and a comforting smile, a technique I had nearly perfected over the years. I took my hand out of my gauntlet and stuck it out, as to shake. As I should have expected, she was hesitant, and visibly shifted when it came near her. Quickly I withdrew it. "Right. My apologies. I'm a friend of Ozpin. Nice to meet you."

"Y-Yeah. Hey, um, I'm sorry, but, could you guys maybe . . . leave me alone for a bit?" She asked. I could see pain in those eyes of hers. It saddened me deeply that she had to go through this. 

"No can do, Ruby. I've actually come here to talk to you. But first, I'd like to inform you that you'll be heading back to classes soon." I said happily. It was fake, of course, but I'm a good actor. 

"Wh-What?" Ruby looked surprised, though there was also fear. I could practically smell it. 

"Listen, Ruby." I kneeled down to the level of her bed so her head and mine were level. "You're strong; stronger than you think. So we need to get you back on your feet. Those Grimm aren't going to slay themselves, you know." She still didn't look convinced, so I took another route. "I hear you like weapons." I start. 

"Uh y-yeah." Ruby rubbed her arm nervously, though I could tell some of the tension has lifted. Good, I thought. Get her to feel comfortable. 

"Then you might just like one of these," I said, bringing up the gauntlet I took off when we first got here. Her eyes instantly lit up. 

"Woah! What is that?!" She wasn't yelling or anything. Really her voice was still rather quiet, but she seemed to get into it. I handed it to her. 

"That, Ruby, is a gravity gauntlet. It uses gravity Dust powered buy high tech aura batteries that supercharge the crystals and use them to build up kinetic energy and discharge it as an invisible projectile." I explained though I was worried she wouldn't understand. Those worries were quite unfounded, it turns out. 

"That's so cool!" She said, flipping it around and looking at the different parts. "How did you make it?" 

.............. Shit 

"Uh . . . family secret?" I meant to say that, not ask it, but hopefully she buys it. 

"Hm. That's cool I guess." Ruby said, giving the glove a final once over before I took it back from her. 

"Yeah, I happen to be a bit of a weapon fanatic myself. Glad we have something in common. But back on track, why don't we get you back up, huh? You aren't going to get any better here, and your friends miss you. So do you feel better now?" I gave her a hopeful smile. Ruby looked around at her team, each of them giving encouraging looks. She took a deep breath and exhaled. 

"Okay." 

"Good. I'll have your clothes sent here, alright?" I stood up and looked at Yang. "I'll be waiting outside." She nodded to me as I left. A few minutes later, the rest of her team came out. 

"No Ruby?" I asked. 

"She went into the bathroom to change," Blake said. I nodded, thinking this was normal, though perhaps I was wrong. 

Ruby emerged from the room, wearing her, what I assumed to be normal clothes. That was fine, but her actions, however, raised an alarm. 

"Hey, guys!" She said cheerfully. "Come on! I wanna get back to class before we miss the next one!" She smiled brightly and started dragging Yang along with her. Each of her teammates looked utterly shocked but started to adapt and follow her. I, however, stayed behind. This worried me considerably, though I scolded myself for not seeing it coming. 

Denial.

Based on her state several minutes before, as well as the reports, there's no way her emotional state took a complete 180. In someone so young, I should have expected it. Hell, age has shit to do with it. All that I was thinking about was how this would change things up a bit. 

"Shit just got a whole lot harder." I sighed, before jogging off to follow the four of them to their next class.


	4. Back to School

Sorry if this kinda sucks. I'm very absent minded right now and can't really focus. 

 

I sigh. Seem to be doing that a lot these days. Whether it's for a good reason or my own lazy impatience, I don't yet know. The clacking of my greaves against the floors of Beacon's hallways is the only noise I can hear as I walk to team RWBY's dorm. It was my fourth day with them, and things weren't looking up. Her team and friends would disagree, but Ruby isn't as well as she acts. I'm experienced. I can see through the fake smile like glass. I need to ask Blake, Weiss, and Yang a few questions next time they're alone. 

A few minutes later I get to their room and wait patiently outside. "(Y/N)? Waiting for them again?" I turn to face Pyrrha, who's out of JNPR's dorm first almost every day. 

"Part of the job," I reply, keeping myself turned at the dorm opposite hers. 

"You seem to have done that job wonderfully, considering how Ruby's been acting. Honestly, I was surprised to find Ruby barging into Professor Port's classroom the day I found out you were here."

"I'm sure Port was as well, considering it wasn't the class she was assigned to at that time. Part of the reason why I made her take the day off to get settled back into her room." I frown just thinking about it. 

"Well, whatever you've been doing, it's working. Ruby's happier now. And I think it has something to do with you." I could practically hear Pyrrha's smile through her words. 

But she's not happy, I wanted to tell her. But even if she did understand, Ruby doesn't need a bunch of overly sympathetic friends surrounding her right now, reminding her over and over again of what happened. Though if I'm being honest, a reminder might be just what she needs. Should her current mental state maintain, that is. 

The door in front of me opened, Ruby being the first one out not a surprise. 

"Hiya, (Y/N)! Good morning!" She greeted happily. 

"Good morning, Ruby. You'll have to forgive me but I don't know which class is first on your schedule today." I say with a small smile, trying to come off as friendly as possible. 

"That's okay! It's professor Oobleck. But you don't have to come to class with me every day. You know that right?" She asks me so innocently it's frustrating. 

"I know I don't have to; I want to. The only reason I'm here is to help you recover." The rest of her team walks out of the room behind her. As we start walking, Ruby goes silent, looking down at the floor. 

"Yeah. Recover." She says it in a hushed voice, but I can hear it. The sounds of pain and regret. After a few awkward seconds, I lean in sideways a few inches. 

"Ruby? You alright?" I inquire. She seems to wake up from whatever daydream she was having as she looked at me with widened eyes. 

"Huh? O-Oh yeah! I'm fine; I'm fine!" She reassures. Though I can tell there's a lack of truth in her words. "Come on! Don't want to be late!" Ruby smiles brightly before speeding down the hallway. I don't follow, rather, I watch her until the rest of her team comes up from behind us. 

"Well, she seems . . . different." Weiss says, concerned confusion etched into her voice. 

"Yeah, it's . . . kinda weird." Yang adds. I exhale before looking over my shoulder at them. 

"If you all don't mind, there's a couple of things I need to kn-"

"Guys! Come on! We're gonna be late!" I hear Ruby's voice and turn my head to see her poking out from around the corner, looking at us expectantly. 

"Next time we're alone, I need to ask you three some questions," I say softly as I pursue their leader down the corridor, not giving them the chance to respond. 

* * *  
Doctor Oobleck really wasn't much different than he was when I was here. Shoes still not matching, clothes still messy and unkempt. Yep - Doctor Oobleck never changes. 

"So, students, remember when you are caught in the future, all people are susceptible to something. And, as shown by Lieutenant Quinn in the Faunus Revolt of the Schnee Mines, if you can find that something, you can defeat any enemy easily." The Doctor finished his lesson and went to his desk. He grabbed a stack of papers and in less than ten seconds, the entire class had a sheet of homework on their respective desk areas. Shortly after, the bell rang and students started packing and leaving, some taking notice of me. If they did, however, they did nothing. 

As team RWBY walked to the door, I stepped after them, following the four out into the hallway. The next class was with Professor Port. UGH. I get tired just thinking about that class. 

The members of my self-assigned team began splitting up, and as per request, one member of said team stuck with Ruby. For this go-round it was Yang. Weiss and Blake split off from us to their respective classes while I followed the half-sisters to the class of nap time. Once we got there, the three of us went in and sat down. Class soon started with one of the professor's actual lessons. 

"Yes, yes, the Beringel is quite a tough fellow. Should you come across one, do not try to combat it without a well-thought plan! I fought one some time ago. Like me, you should use its size and weight against it. It was not easy, however. A fascinating story, really. I had the ladies falling over for me for weeks!" Port shot an off-angled wink at Yang. Note the off-angled bit. I noticed it when I heard Ruby gasp. I looked over at her to see her to see her mental state clearly in decline. Her eyes were wide, pupils small as her fists that sat in her lap were clenched. Her breathing speed slowly increased as she began to shake. I was uncertain if physical contact was the best right now, but it was clear doing nothing would be just as bad. 

With this knowledge in mind, I decided to improvise. I reached my hand out in front of her face. She didn't react, a clear confirmation of my suspicions. I brought my thumb and middle finger together and snapped as hard as I could. The metal of the gauntlets only amplified the sound. "Ruby!" I semi-yelled into her ear at the same time. 

"Ah!" She let out a short scream as she came back to reality. "What? Why . . . where am I?" I put my hand on her shoulder. 

"Ruby," I said, prompting her to turn away from almost everyone in the class that was now watching her, Yang and Port included. "Relax. You're okay. You're still at Beacon in Professor Port's class." I removed my hand from her shoulder and turned to address the professor. "Please, Port, avoid the usage of suggestive gestures such as that from now on?"

"Oh! U-Um, yes of course. My apologies, Miss Rose." The large man awkwardly turned away before slowly continuing his story. Ruby appeared to be calming down when Yang asked her if she was alright. Ruby told her yes but I could see the uncomfortable shifting in her body language.

When class finally ended, we filed out and headed to the cafeteria. I didn't know if I'd be able to get any food there as I'm not an official student. Guess I'll just have to hope. 

We found Weiss, Blake, and team JNPR sitting at a table to themselves, chatting the minutes away. Jaune was the first to notice us. "Guys!" He yelled, getting up and running to us. "Glad you could make it." He walked back to the table with us before sitting down while we went to get food. I was afraid I would get rejected for my lack of attendance so far but luckily they gave me the munchies like everyone else. 

I'll have to thank Ozpin for that later. 

Once we were all settled in, things seemed to go normally for a while. Of course, Ruby's condition just had to be brought up. I don't know whether or not to be thankful it didn't escalate quite like it did this morning. 

"So, Ruby." Pyrrha started- "I'm glad to see you doing better. We were really worried about you for a while." 

"Yeah! With everything, you know, going on with you right now, we figured you'd be out a little longer." Jaune chuckled happily. I, however, was internally screaming. It seemed Ruby wasn't in much better condition, as her happy smile quickly left her face and she looked down, her hair obscuring her face from view. "R-Ruby?" Jaune asked, minor concern in his voice. He reached out for her but was quickly stopped when my metal fist grabbed his wrist. "H-Huh?" He looked at me and was immediately given one of the worst death glares he'd ever get. I shook my head at him, telling him to fuck off. The scrawny blonde sat back down silently. 

I turned to Ruby and out my hand on her shoulder for the second time that day. "Ruby? Are you-?"

"Yep! Just fine! Nothing wrong with me; I'm perfectly happy." She interrupted. Her rather loud volume got the attention of the others at the table. We gazed at her extremely happy (forced) smile accompanied by a thumbs up on her left hand. I could tell, based on facial expression, a few others at the table weren't buying it, though I silently told them off as well.

After that, I managed to change the subject and get life going again. But that was too close a call. I need to be more careful in what I say too, as, even with experience like mine, everyone lets something slip at some point. 

The end bell rung, signifying the end of lunch, and the next class, which, for Ruby, Weiss, and I, was Glynda's combat class. Both teams were leaving in the same direction, which was good, as I needed a word with the team RWBY. Minus Ruby, of course. The red hooded girl was happily skipping along to the next class and was thankfully too much so to notice I had stopped behind her. "Wait," I said, holding out my arm stopping Weiss and Yang. Blake, despite being buried in her book, stopped too. 

"Now that we're alone, I need some things answered." I turned to them. They gave me confused expressions but ultimately left the start of the conversation to me. "Alright, I need to know how Ruby is doing. Obviously, I know a good amount as I'm constantly around her but you three get to see her behind closed doors." 

"Well, to be honest, she hasn't been acting that different to us than she is you," Blake said. 

"Yeah, she's really happy. Like, all the time. It's really frustrating because I know she shouldn't be! And every time I try to confront her about it, she just waves me off!" Weiss glared at no one in particular and clenched her fists momentarily. I thought for a moment. 

"What about behavior? I know that goes in line with the first question but have there been changes in her activities? Routine? Has she still been crying at night?"

"Well . . ." Weiss started, most likely trying to remember. 

"I haven't exactly heard her." Yang touched her hand to her chin as she pondered. 

"She has." I looked at the speaker, Blake, and gave her a look telling her to proceed. "I can hear her at night. She's quiet, very quiet. It's of no surprise that neither of you can properly hear her, but-" she gestured to the bow on her head. I starting listing everything I knew, putting dots together in my head. I then asked an admittedly odd question, but it would confirm the theory. 

"Is she taking longer showers than normal?"

"What kind of question is that?!" Yang asked in a demanding tone. 

"I just need to know, Yang. Please." I tried to make the most genuine face I could, showing I held no ill intent. The brawler sighed. 

"Yes. She has been." 

"Why is that relevant, (Y/N)?" Blake asked. Now it was my turn to sigh. 

"Well, it sounds like your leader has clear symptoms of denial," I said. 

"Denial?" Yang confusedly asked. 

"You say that like it's some sort of medical problem," Weiss added. 

"It may as well be," I said, readying myself to explain this to them. "When we go through something traumatic, especially something like this, sometimes it can be too hard for us to bear - to fathom. It hurts to think about. It feels like a problem that can't be solved. I should have expected it in someone like Ruby. Someone so young is going to have it a lot worse."

"But . . . what is it?" Yang asked. 

"Basically, it's when something that happens becomes too much for us to handle, so we tell ourselves it didn't. That's what Ruby's doing. It probably hurts her so much to think about that she's telling herself over and over again that it didn't in a futile hope that maybe if she tells herself enough, it actually might not have happened at all. I believe that's how she's been so stable over the past few days - by lying to herself. Ruby's not actually happy, she's just acting like it trying to convince herself she is."

"She can't go on like that for long, can she?" Weiss's voice emitted a dejected tone. 

"No," I said. 

"But what does this have to do with your shower question?" Yang pleadingly asked.

"Two reasons," I stated. "When Ruby is alone, when anyone is alone, those walls begin to fall. The lies fade and she's left alone with her thoughts. So the real her begins to surface. The second reason, well, I'm guessing Ruby is the kind of person who doesn't like to burden others with her problems, right? That's part of it too. She feels weak, damaged. So, in order to not burden you with her troubles, she puts a smile over the frown."

"But she isn't a burden!" Yang said frantically. 

"She doesn't know that. And you can't exactly just go and tell her yet. In order for anyone to really help her, she has to be able to admit to you what happened, even if we already know. But as I've now seen, before she admits it to anyone else, she's going to have to admit it to herself."

**Author's Note:**

> Like what you read? I'm writing three other RWBY fanfics on my Wattpad account, SuperJediWizardDude. Go check me out!


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